Join a team installing a Media Arts show at Univ. Wisconsin-Milwaukeee June 17-21!

The Electronic Literature Organization’s 2014 Media Arts Show, running in conjunction with ELO’s HOLD THE LIGHT conference, will feature 48 new works of multimodal interactive art. The exhibit JUNE 19, 20 & 21, will be co-located in two rooms at the UWM’s Golda Meir Library: the Digital Humanities Lab, and the 4th Floor Conference space.

I seek six docents and one social media manager. Volunteer for some or all of the date range, June 17-21. Learn the step-by-step process of installing artworks on computers, and how to design the physical experience moving guests station-to-station. Meet artists from around the world, and play for yourself some of the most innovative digital art happening anywhere. Curious about oculus rift? Or how stories shift from screen to wall to body and back again? Come hang with us and be part of building a one-of-a-kind art show.

Students with computer experience are welcome, but it’s not necessary. The social media manager would ideally have experience messaging on behalf of a student group or other entity.

As curator, I’ll work on all elements, from social media down to finding power strips, so no student will be asked to do a job and then “left alone” to figure it out. We’ll collaborate! It’s a lot of fun — the energy, excitement & adrenalin of building to launch at 9AM Thursday 6/19. Here’s the timeline.

EARLY JUNE
–create a social media presence for the ELO14 Media Arts exhibit on Twitter, Instragram & Facebook. Goal: drive foot traffic.

SETTING UP Tues. 6/17 10-5 and Wed. 6/18 10-5
–configure the desktop on the UWM machines we’re borrowing to foreground the featured works (I can teach this);
–load some software made by the artists onto the UWM machines. I have instructions from the artists.
–arrange the computers on tables to promote physical flow through the exhibit space;
–create & print signage directing flow of traffic within GML
–create & print signage to hang outside of GML to attract attention to the show and entice people to come in

DURING EXHIBIT Thurs. 6/19 & Fri. 6/20 9AM-5PM; Sat. 10AM-12PM
–supervise equipment to prevent theft or other forms of tampering
–create temporary exhibit space where artists will demo their works during two 90-minute informal “demo” sessions
–alert the curator if a machine is not operating properly
–count the number of guests
–direct guests to the other part of the exhibit in GML
–monitor social media streams
–generate “livetweets” depicting guests engaging art, comments you overhear, artists discussing their work, etc.
–From 7-7:30PM on Thurs. June 19, be around to troubleshoot the Evening of Performances at Curtin Hall on Thursday 19 June.
–Ideally, a student would wish to video document this show. We’d be delighted to meet someone who’d help us videotape one or more of the Evening Performances!

BREAKING DOWN EXHIBIT Sat. 6/21 12 Noon-2PM
–remove installed artwork from machines
–[artists are responsible for removing their own installations on 4th floor]
–restore desktops to original condition
–put away borrowed items like table cloths, powerstrips, cords, adapters, etc.
–remove signage
–make the space look identical to the condition in which we found it!

INTERESTED? Send me an email: kathiberens at gmail dot comalong. In the subject line write: ELO14 DOCENT. Tell me why you’d like to be a docent and what skills you bring to the project. Approximately 50-100 words.

I’ll write LETTERS OF COMMENDATION thanking students and detailing their work experience on this project. For exceptional workers, I will act as a personal reference.

One Response to Want to work a Media Arts Show? Here’s How!

I am a PhD student in SOIS and study virtual worlds and gaming teaching systems. This is a great program and has many relations to my own research. I also am a librarian at the UWM Libraries and focus on online delivery of information literacy instruction and my working goal has been to create a gaming tool kit for information literacy tutorials.

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